At best, being a home seller can be more than a little inconvenient unless the market is REALLY hot.
The needing to leave for showings, keeping the home show ready at all times, shifting plans when another showing request comes in, the need to pack up the pets, etc.
And there are things a buyer (and their agent) can do to make things a little easier and may even contribute to establishing some goodwill if they decide to offer on the home.
1. Advance notice for showing requests. If it's a hot market we get it, on market now, better get there NOW. But if a home has been on the market for a week or two and you just HAVE to get in RIGHT NOW, that just might be taken as a red flag that you don't have your act together.
2. Staying on schedule. When your agent asked to show the home, there was an approved time frame (usually an hour). We warn our sellers that means you may show up ANY time inside that window and stay past the window. That's understandable. What's NOT typically well received is to be running an hour, or two (or more) LATE and then think it's okay to just show up at the door and want in. Your agent really should be providing some notice to the seller or listing agent that you're running late, and the time for that determination is NOT when you're already an hour late. Would love to say this isn't based on true stories, but....
3. Respect the seller's home. Basically leave it as you found it. Doors locked. No muddy footprints across the carpet. Don't break things. Don't let your kids "pocket" stuff (yeah, another true story). Don't bring your pets in, don't smoke, don't poke around in their dressers.
Bottom line, just ask yourself how you'd want to be treated if you were the seller and it was YOUR home. Use common sense and Golden Rule and everything should be fine.
Serving Greater Cincinnati home buyers and sellers,
Bill & Liz aka BLiz
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